Captain Tyler Thompson began his service to our country and community by joining the South Carolina Army National Guard in 2006. He proudly served a combat deployment in Iraq from 2011 to 2012.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from South University in 2013 and began his law enforcement career in 2014 with Lexington Medical Center Public Safety. During his tenure at LMC, Captain Thompson was promoted to Corporal and was recognized by his peers as Officer of the Quarter, receiving the Tim James Eagle Award.
In 2017, he graduated from South University with a Master of Public Administration degree.
Captain Thompson joined the West Columbia Police Department on October 27, 2017, as a patrol officer. His dedication and exemplary work earned him the Officer of the Month award from the Cayce-West Columbia Chamber in September 2018.
He was promoted to Criminal Investigator in 2020 and advanced to the Street Crimes Unit in 2021. While serving in this role, Captain Thompson participated in “Operation West Bound and Down,” a major initiative that resulted in numerous federal indictments, the removal of over 200 illegal firearms from the streets, and significant seizures of narcotics.
In 2025, Captain Thompson was promoted to Captain of the Detective Division. In this leadership role, he oversees all operations of the Detectives Division, which includes investigators assigned to Crime Scene, Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault, White Collar Crimes, and Major Crimes. He also supervises the department’s Victim’s Advocate and Evidence Custodian, ensuring a comprehensive approach to criminal investigations and victim support.
Captain Thompson can be reached at (803) 794-0721, Ext. 185.
Captain Thompson
803-794-0721
Non-emergency: Dial Ext -221
*Emergency callers should
always dial 911
